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What is the best 'general' console? i.e. good for the family? Obviously as an HDTV owner,the PS3 is appealing.1 console and blu-ray included.The 360 looks good but need an additional DVD player (more space).Lastly the Wii looks good fun, but although the concept seems great,how accurate is it? Can you actually miss a shot at tennis (if you know what I mean).I have a 5 year old Son who loves playing games and teh Wii looks great, but don't want to waste money.

Active Member

If your five year old is a large consideration in your buying then the Wii is probably the best option as neither of the other two options are very little un' friendly (360 has limited range such as available on the arcade as does the PS3 with waggle controller and bouncing ducks (*cough*)). The Wii controller is definately more suited to people (old or young) who want to pick up and play rather than be confronted with a myriad of buttons and combinations of buttons.

The Wii controller is very well done actually and really does work as intended.

For a general question I would always say the 360 first tbh but with the youngster being mentioned and the importance then would have to say the Wii.

Active Member

My, almost 4 year old, daughter loves playing on the 360; Lego Star Wars, Cars, Bomberman, Feeding Frenzy are just a few.

She loves the Wii too but does have some dificulty with the Wiimote.

The main thing is that it's the games she plays not the console. What's very good about the 360 is the demo's and X-Box Live Arcade games that can be downloaded and tried. There are some demos that she just loves as they are; Amped 3 demo will never need to be replaced with the full version.

Problem with the Wii is that you have to pay for a virtual console game to download it. If she doesn't like it, it's a waste of points.

I can't comment on the Sony consoles as I've never tried them.

Check the games out and decide on that rather than who makes the console.

Distinguished Member

I'd personally say the Wii if you're looking for a console that all the family will enjoy. A lot of the games (Mario Party, WarioWare, Wii Sports, Wii Play, Rayman, Excite Truck, Brain Academy etc.) are easy to pick up and offer good, fun, social play.

The 360 is a great console as well, although is more aimed at the traditional gamer. There are some good family/social games on it (Guitar Hero 2, Bomberman Live, Lego Star Wars etc.) but generally the games are aimed more with the online gamer in mind.

The PS3 is another great console, but it just lacks the games at the moment really. It's good media wise with the built in Blu Ray (which also upscales DVD's well), but as a games console the other two are better choices at the moment.

Well-known Member

For a five year old, I'd probably go for the Wii too. If your child was a bit older I would have probably said the 360, but I don't think it's catalogue is too strong for kids that young. Maybe you might want to consider a PS2 too, I know its showing its age but its catalogue of games is unsurpassed.

Well-known Member

I would be controversial here and say that if you can afford the PS3 then it is the best choice for an all-rounder.

Your 5 year old will have access to the entire PS2 back catalogue, which has to be the most young child friendly back catalogue of all the consoles.

You get a great Blu-Ray player.

You get some good games, but tbh, they are a little scarce at the moment, but there are still plenty of PS2 games to play.

If you want hardcore gaming, especially online, then the 360 is a good option. It definately has the best selection of next gen games at the moment.

Wii is ok, but I still think it is best as a secondary console. From my personal experience I got very bored with the Wii after only a short time. I am a massive Nintendo fan, but I think they are really struggling to produce anything different. If you played the gamecube a lot, then I am not sure you will get anything out of it at the moment.

They are easy to pick up and play and they can be fun, but they are all pretty short lived in my experience. Also, with the Wiimote, if your child finds it hard to cope with then it can be a very frustrating experience for them. It is a great step forward in interactivity, but it also does cause a lot of problems for people who are not so co-ordinated.

You know like nunchuck skills, bowhunting skills, computer hacking skills... Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills. ....

Distinguished Member

As your post indicates the 'needs' for a family orientated console, I would say the Wii would be the one to choose. My daughter (six) has little interest in consoles however she recently had the chance to play on the Wii and absolutely loved it.

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They are easy to pick up and play and they can be fun, but they are all pretty short lived in my experience. Also, with the Wiimote, if your child finds it hard to cope with then it can be a very frustrating experience for them. It is a great step forward in interactivity, but it also does cause a lot of problems for people who are not so co-ordinated.

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To be honest though, the Wiimote helps to teach and improve things like co-ordination and motor skills. Also with the growing childhood obesity problem in the UK, things like the Wii are far more preferable to consoles which often just encourage slumping back in a sofa with a joypad.

There are also some far more indepth games (Mario Galaxy, Zelda, Metroid 3, Super Paper Mario etc.) to meet those other needs.

I own all three of the consoles and the PS3 is a nice bit of kit. Out of the three however i'd say that the Wii is not only the best for a child, but is arguably the best for just about everyone. Any games console that promotes physical activity and social activity so well is a great thing IMO. As big a fan as I am when it comes to gaming, there's no doubt that kids do spend far too long sat infront of the playstation, getting fat these days. When I was young I did play video games (from around 8yrs old onwards) but the majority of my time was spent out playing, which kept me fit, developed my social skills and helped develop me into the independent person that I am now. Things like a fear for children's safety and a reduction in the places where kids can actually go and play has made it harder for kids to enjoy the type of life that I had back then so things like games consoles that promote activity are a great idea in my eyes.

I'm not saying that the odd PS2/3 game (dancemat, guitar hero, Singstar type games etc.) does not also promote some activity, it's just that the majority of Wii games involve some degree of activity and that is a very good thing.

I've noticed that you have chosen personally to go with just the PS3. There's nothing wrong with that, apart from the fact that your views do seem overly in favour of Sony's offering. I have no reason to favour one company or console over the other and from my point of view I like all three of them a lot. As an owner of all 3 however, I do find that the Wii is a real breath of fresh air and is the console which excites me the most out of the three.

Wii is ok, but I still think it is best as a secondary console. From my personal experience I got very bored with the Wii after only a short time. I am a massive Nintendo fan, but I think they are really struggling to produce anything different. If you played the gamecube a lot, then I am not sure you will get anything out of it at the moment.

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I really thought more of you than someone to post a comment like this. If you have got bored of the Wii after a short period of time then do you really feel that you have given it a good go? The Wii isn't like one of those old TV games with tennis, squash and football to select from and nothing more. It's a console that offers something very different, whilst also offering some of the greatest games on the market. Wii Sports is one of the best video games i've ever played full stop and I still play it loads now and most likely will all through the life of the console (unless it's replaced by updated versions). Metroid 3 is by all acounts absolutely stunning and Mario Galaxy looks like it could also become a classic. Then there's Super Paper Mario (which gets delivered tommorrow!) which offers another unique and brilliant gameplay concept. With the upcoming Wii Fit controller the gaming possibilities become simply immense and in contrast to your view that "Nintendo are struggling to produce anything different", I think you'll find that most folk find that they are the ONLY ones producing anything different.

Finally, the Gamecube was Nintendo's lowest moment. It had some great games (as you'd expect from Nintendo), but offered zero innovation and for once it felt that Nintendo was just turning into another Sony and just settling down to produce the same old stuff over & over. There is practically no comparison between the Wii and the Gamecube and that is being shown by the sales the Wii is generating.

Well-known Member

Wii is ok, but I still think it is best as a secondary console. From my personal experience I got very bored with the Wii after only a short time. I am a massive Nintendo fan, but I think they are really struggling to produce anything different. If you played the gamecube a lot, then I am not sure you will get anything out of it at the moment.

Well-known Member

I really thought more of you than someone to post a comment like this.

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I can't help it

I was hyped for the Wii, I was raving about it for ages. It came out, I played it, I was bored fairly quickly.

I just couldn't bring myself to play another 3D Mario game, Zelda or Metroid at the moment. I guess that for me is the problem, I just find it difficult to play any one of those franchises, and that is what Nintendo revolve their strategy around. Most of the in-depth games you have listed are extensions of Gamecube games, which is where my comments are based in. In reality, you could have produced them on the gamecube with a normal controller.

I do favour the PS3, just because I am well impressed by it. Lots of other people aren't.

I just presented (what I admitted was controversial) a view that the PS3 does have some positive points.

I will concede that the Wii is the most family friendly and definately wallet friendly!!! Although, Singstar may prove to be the best thing ever for 5 year old aspiring pop stars

You know like nunchuck skills, bowhunting skills, computer hacking skills... Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills. ....

Distinguished Member

I do like the PS3 and as a console it impresses me no end. It is certainly the best piece of hardware out of the 3. The 360 impresses me systems wise, with XBox Live, video chat, achievements, marketplace etc. all working superbly and adding to the gameplay experience. The Wii impresses me in terms of pure fun and the fact that it can bring gamers & none gamers together in a way that i've never experienced before. When you throw in the brilliance of Nintendo and their superb franchises into the mix then it becomes a great console for none gamers, casual gamers and hardcore gamers alike. I fall into the slice of the market which all three consoles are aimed at and I guess the thing is that the Wii appeals to a much wider audience than the other two.

Distinguished Member

There's no doubting the PS2's games catalogue and I agree that it's a great budget console to own, with loads of cheap games. I guess it comes down to how many games you can feasibly play though. For me, the Wii has already built a great games catalogue and even though it's only been out around 9 months, i'd certainly recommend the following games on it :-

- Wii Sports (included)
- Zelda TTP
- Red Steel - (Fun if slightly flawed)
- Rayman - Great party fun
- Warioware - see rayman
- Mario Party 8 - again see rayman
- Excite Truck - brilliant fun and a great use of the wiimote
- RE4 (Wii edition) - Superb game, but not one for a 5 year old .
- Mario Strikers Charged - great fun, on or offline
- Super Paper Mario - A clever and superbly playable platform adventure
- Wii Play - great to get the extra control and some of the simple games are fun, especially for younger gamers

Those are pretty much just the titles that I have bought and had time to play, but there's certainly a lot of fun gameplay in there for all ages.

Also don't forget all the classic games to be had via the VC as there's now around 150 classic games to be had on there (such as Zelda OOT, Super Mario World, Mario 64, FZero/FZerox, Lylat Wars, Paper Mario, Waverace 64, Ghouls 'n Ghosts, Gunstar Heroes, Donkey Kong Country, R-Type, Streets of Rage 2, Streetfighter 2, Contra 3 etc.).

You also have to consider the future of the console. A console selling as well as the Wii will attract developers like anything, where as i'm sure that a lot of developers will have taken the "wait to see how successful it is" policy before committing time and money into developing for the Wii. I'm sure that we'll see more and more third party stuff start to stream out for the console and i'm pretty confident that it will sell more consoles than the PS2 and eventually have an even bigger games catalogue.

I'd certainly agree that the PS2 is a good option though, especially as the console and it's games can be picked up very cheaply now.

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Also don't forget that the Wii is capable of playing Gamecube games. Just get a controller and a memory card and you can play Pikmin 1+2, Killer7, Soul Calibur (with Link), Mario Sunshine, Metroid Prime 1+2 etc.

Well-known Member

Also don't forget that the Wii is capable of playing Gamecube games. Just get a controller and a memory card and you can play Pikmin 1+2, Killer7, Soul Calibur (with Link), Mario Sunshine, Metroid Prime 1+2 etc.

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Good point and there some fantastic GC games out there, and quite a few that suit kids too.

For a 5 yr old, i'd say get hold of a cheap N64 with a copy of banjo kazooie, banjo tooie and mario 64, you may ask why?

The control pads will last forever, the console even longer and your 5 yr old wont damage the games when they put them in or out.

Even better when they get fed up with it, unlike the current batch of consoles, it'll probably be worth more than when you bought it.

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Certainly can't disagree with that . The N64 is still a great console and if you chuck in a copy of Waverace, Goldeneye, MarioKart 64, Diddy Kong Racing, Perfect Dark and Zelda OOT along with the games you mention, then you can't go wrong at all! A 5 year old will absolutely love it and shoul dhave no problems getting on with all those games IMO. Maybe stuff like Zelda, Goldeneye & Perfect Dark may be a bit tricky but still worth a bash to see if he can play them.

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For a 5 yr old, i'd say get hold of a cheap N64 with a copy of banjo kazooie, banjo tooie and mario 64, you may ask why?

The control pads will last forever, the console even longer and your 5 yr old wont damage the games when they put them in or out.

Even better when they get fed up with it, unlike the current batch of consoles, it'll probably be worth more than when you bought it.

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Yep id say go for the N64 as well or even a snes. When my lad was 5 i got him a used n64 and snes with a bunch of games and he still plays it regular when he stops at mine. As mentioned cartridges are very sturdy and theres no chance of them getting scratched etc. He also have a dvd player in his room and most of his films are scratched or full of jam and chocolate!

If i was to get him a "disc" based console it would be a Dreamcast. Again you can buy a used one with plenty of games for peanuts and its got some great peripherals like the fishing rod and lightgun!! Also you can do plenty of "backups" for the original games and use them instead!

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If i was to get him a "disc" based console it would be a Dreamcast. Again you can buy a used one with plenty of games for peanuts and its got some great peripherals like the fishing rod and lightgun!! Also you can do plenty of "backups" for the original games and use them instead!

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I'd go for a dreamcast as well. £15 for the console, pad & game in most places. Plus its great for megadrive, snes, gba, master system, game gear, nes & spectrum emulation! just check out the dodgier auction sites! LOL

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I would also say get an N64. I've had mine since I was like 5 or something and it's the ultimate console to have at that age. The games are timeless and the console is a big brick and hard to break and even if it is broken... it's so cheap who cares... I still have mine and I've never broken it, it still works perfectly and I'll always play it

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I'd go for a DS each. Me and my brother would always get into some kind of argument when sharing things. I think they'd be more excited to receive a present each rather than a shared one personally. Plus the DS has a load of games released for kids like Harry Potter, Cooking Mama, Animal Crossing, etc. The touch screen bonus will probably capture their attention for ages aswell.